SPRINGFIELD – Stability for working class families in Illinois is closer to reality, thanks to State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park). Hastings voted in favor of Senate Bill 1, which would gradually increase the minimum wage over the next six years.

"The passage of this historic measure is long overdue," Hastings said. "Over the past decade, workers have not seen a change in the minimum wage, but they have seen an increase in the cost of living."

The last time the General Assembly raised the minimum wage was in 2010. If the minimum wage had kept pace with inflation, the current wage would be nearly $10 an hour. According to a 2017 report by the Washington Post, a full-time worker would need to earn $21 an hour to afford the average rent on a two bedroom apartment in Illinois.

"My district voted in 2014 to increase the minimum wage and I heard them. I also heard those that work in industries like home health care and those with developmental disabilities. They have tough jobs and deserve to get paid a fair working wage," Hastings said. "But it is important to take into consideration how employers and businesses implement the wage increase."

Senate Bill 1 includes tax credit to small businesses to assist with the implementation of the higher wages. The credit is available to all qualified employers, whether for profit or not-for-profit, who have an obligation to withhold taxes from their employees' wages. The credit will reduce the amount of employee withheld wages that the employer will not be required to remit to the Department of Revenue.

Senate Bill 1 passed the Senate and will now move to the House for consideration.